The Ancients

‘I am Spartacus!’ In the field of epic film making, the 1960 historical drama ‘Spartacus’ is legendary. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, and starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier, it is undoubtedly a classic. But how much of the plot has emerged from the true story of a Thracian gladiator and slave who escaped his Roman captors and led an unsuccessful but impressive rebellion against their oppressors? And how much of the film’s me...

Dionysus. He's known as the party God of ancient Greece who you never wanted to cross. Associated with theatre, mysterious cults and even, on one occasion, turning pirates into dolphins. But who exactly was the 12th God of the Greek Pantheon? And why has he become associated with having a good time?

In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes continues our series on Greek Gods and Goddesses by exploring the infamous patro...

Caligula. One of the most infamous Roman emperors of them all. He didn't rule Rome for long, but he has gained a legacy as this incredibly evil figure. But who was the real Caligula? Did he really fall in love with one of his horses? And did he really declare war on the sea?

In today's episode Tristan Hughes uncovers all this and more as he welcomes historian LJ Trafford back onto the podcast to explore the truth behind Caligula...

Cleopatra. It is one of the most recognisable names in ancient history, made famous by the exploits of Egypt’s controversial pharaoh queen. But did you know that the Cleopatra of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony fame was actually the seventh Cleopatra of her dynasty. From 180 BC, down to the Roman conquest of Alexandria in 30 BC, Egypt was ruled by a line of fiercely ambitious and independent Cleopatras, none of whom were afraid to br...

Nineveh was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia. Situated on the eastern bank of the River Tigris, it rivalled cities like Babylon and Persepolis as the capital of the great Assyrian Empire and the seat of power for towering figures like Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal. But what were its origins, how did it become such a great city and how did it fall? 

In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by...

The Silk Road was a pivotal ancient exchange network that connected the grassy steppes of Asia and the Middle East with the western world. The passage of goods, ideas and technologies along this bustling commercial artery was crucial to the development of the ancient East and West. It was, quite simply, the glue that held the ancient world together. But what were the origins of this first global exchange network? 

In today’...

Auxiliaries were some of the most important troops in the all-conquering Roman Army. Unlike legionaries, their more heavily-armoured and widely famed counterparts, auxiliaries were recruited from across the Empire and were renowned for their versatility. Deployed as border guards in the far-away hinterlands near Hadrians Wall or as mobile cavalry in the deserts of Parthia, they helped aid the advance of Rome’s military behemoth in ...

The Beaker People were a Bronze Age culture that revolutionised prehistoric Britain. They were responsible for introducing Bronze Age technology into the British Isles for the first time, and also completely replaced the island’s earlier inhabitants. Identified by their distinctive style of pottery they quite literally changed the faced of British settlement and genetics forever. But how much do we know about them? And what archeol...

The Library of Alexandria was one of the most important and most celebrated buildings of the ancient Mediterranean. It was a great hub of learning and literature and made Alexandria one of the ancient world’s foremost centres of knowledge and culture, and the jewel of the Nile Delta. But when was it built? And where did all the books come from?

In today’s episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks to Dr. Islam Issa about the...

Apollo, the favourite son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis, was a Greek God with many faces. Perhaps most famous as Phoebus, the God of the Sun, he was the patron of poetry and prophecy, of music and dance. And yet he also possessed a darker side. He was a terribly vengeful character and brought death and disease to both those he hated and loved through his trademark poisonous arrows.

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan ...

The Goths are renowned for many things, not least sacking Rome in 410 AD and helping to bring about the fall of the Western Roman Empire. They were a 'barbarian' people from across the Danube who began migrating into the Empire during the 3rd and 4th centuries, pushed out of their ancestral nomadic lands by the onrushing Huns. But what were their origins? And did they really cause the fall of Rome?

In this episode of The Ancient...

Have you ever wondered about the dark side of archeology? The illegal seizing of ancient artefacts? The looting of goods from age old historical sites and their sale on the black market? Well it is a practice that goes back hundreds of years and today we’re exploring how it works, why it happens and what government bodies are doing to prevent it.

In this episode of The Ancients Tristan Hughes is joined by Prof. Valerie Higgins t...

Europe’s earliest known humans lived over 1.2 million years ago. After initially roaming the plains of Iberia in small groups, they spread across the Pyrenees into the wider European continent. But for more than 100,000 years all traces of humans in these regions vanish. The question is…what happened?

In today’s episode of the Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Chris Stringer, and by Dr. Chronis Tzedakis and Dr Vasiliki M...

Would you be able to survive in ancient Babylonia?

In this episode, Tristan is joined once again by Amanda Podany from California State Polytechnic University to discuss the realities of daily life in this fascinating empire. Together, they discuss everything from clay tablet literature and ancient board games to crime, slavery and female entrepreneurship in the era of King Hammurabi c. 1750 BC.

Produced by Joseph Knight...

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most iconic monuments from ancient history. 73 meters in length and 20 meters high, the huge limestone statue depicts a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head thought to represent Khafre, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom (c. 2570 BC).

In this fascinating bumper episode of our special Wonders of the World miniseries, Tristan is joined by...

Pontius Pilate was the Roman Prefect of Judea during the reign of Emperor Tiberius and is most famous for condemning Jesus of Nazareth to death by crucifixion in the Four Gospels. But who really was he? And how much do we know about him?

In this Easter special of The Ancients, Tristan speaks to Prof. Helen Bond to delve deeper into the life of Pontius Pilate, and discover what else we know about this famous Roman governor.

En...

The Pantheon is one of the greatest Roman monuments still standing. First built as a pagan temple by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Caesar Augustus, it was rebuilt in its current form by Emperor Hadrian in AD 126 after a devastating fire and still stands just under two thousand years later almost exactly as the Romans intended. It’s famous free-standing dome is a marvel of Roman architecture and engineering, and makes it one of...

Over 13,000 years ago, Britain emerged from the ravages of the Ice Age as a changed land. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who had adapted to cold climates were presented with new opportunities by the retreating glaciers that could transform the way they lived. But what do we actually know about these people? What can the archeology tell us about Britain after the Ice Age?

In this episode of The Ancients Tristan Hughes is joined by a...

It's one of the most iconic structures in the world: The Great Wall of China.

But is it just one wall? And who built it and why? Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by William Lindesay OBE to delve into the ancient history of this epic structure and to answer these questions and more.

Together, they uncover the origin story. From the Warring States around 300 BC to the Qin Dynasty and China's first emperor, and then to its expans...